Dick Bonham

Hi Janel, Your piece is as usual Beautiful! You are a Master Carver and Sculptor. Dick

Hi, I think drawings should be part of showing any piece. People can see the how the design evolved and developed. I often do extensive drawings and designs of some of my pieces. The way I work, often making a hindered or so pieces and brazing and soldering them together, forces me to design and draw the piece to the last detail. I try to solve problems before they occur to save time. Here is a piece I created with the drawings showing the design process. Dick

Hi Robert, I think you are correct in suggesting that it is much better to buy a new graver handle. The old gravers I have were probably made during the Depression when a full time engraver had to make ends meet. Mr. Brown-Hess drilled hole in a dowell and drilled the cork for the dowell. A lot of work but pennies counted. Here is a picture of the graver handle. Dick

Years ago I bought all of the tools from the widow of an engraver who died in the fifties. I bought an engravers ball, books, samples and many gravers. Most of them had cork handles. I just looked at them and sure enough they were champagne corks. He was a full time engraver and quite good so the handles obviously worked very well. Thanks Doug. Dick

Jim, Thank you for a great lesson. I just reburbished and upgraded my Magna Graver and it now has collets for round tools. What a great easy way to make gravers. Dick

Jim, How do you cut the rod to the proper length and what do you use to grind the faces of the graver to the proper shape? Dick